Somali government to establish closer ties between its police and public

Somalia has launched an ambitious plan seeking to build trust and promote partnerships between Somali police and local communities, officials said on Friday.

The initiative dubbed “Get-To-Know-Your-Police” which is backed by the police component of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) aims at forging closer ties between the police and members of the public.

Bashir Abdi Mohamed, the Somali Police Commissioner, said the initiative will be rolled out in the regional states to enhance security in the grassroots

“We have today reorganized the concept of community policing, for closer cooperation between the public and the police,” Mohamed said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.

The initiative, which is looking to build on gains already made on the policing front, was launched against a backdrop of the recent disbandment of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), which provided oversight on security in the capital and its integration into the Somali Police Force, following a decision made by the country’s National Security Council.

Bashir Mohamed Jama, head of the Custodial Corps, acknowledged that there had been remarkable improvements in the Somali Police Force, as a result of the reforms being implemented.

“Day by day, our institutions are getting stronger and stronger. Roles and responsibilities are being duly assigned to their respective entities. That is a sign of real change. No security force is allowed to conduct security duties inside Mogadishu, other than the Somali Police Force,” said Jama.